The addition of F-16s is a vital upgrade for the country’s Air Force
Kiev expects to receive its first F-16 fighter jets from its Western allies in June-July, a senior Ukrainian military source said today.
Ukraine has requested US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russia’s air superiority in more than two years of war. The source did not say which country would supply the aircraft.
So far, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium have committed to sending F-16s to Ukraine.
Ilya Yevlas, an air force spokesman, said this week that some Ukrainian pilots are completing their training to fly the warplanes.
Pilots and ground staff have been trained by Ukraine’s Western partners for months.
Ukraine’s military has been forced to rely on a relatively small fleet of Soviet-era aircraft as it struggles to contain Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
With Russian forces slowly advancing into the eastern Donbas region and launching a new offensive in the northeast near the city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials see the addition of the F-16s as a vital upgrade for the country’s Air Force.
The US is sending $400 million in military aid to Ukraine
Earlier, it became known that the USA is proceeding with the provision of military aid to Ukraine, amounting to 400 million dollars.
As Reuters explains, the United States is now returning to a normal pace of arms supplies to Ukraine, following the passage of the $95 billion aid law.
The package to Ukraine includes artillery, ammunition for NASAMS anti-aircraft systems, anti-tank weapons, armored vehicles and man-portable weapons systems that can be used immediately on the battlefield.
Source :Skai
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